How people in new roles wind up in emergency coaching (and how to avoid it)

Most early leadership failures are preventable if you treat your onboarding like the strategy project it actually is.

Too often, I’ve seen people in big new jobs figure out that they needed coaching only after they stumbled. They failed to gain their team’s trust, got off to an awkward start with their new boss, unwittingly alienated people they needed on their side or came in swinging without taking time to understand why things are the way they are at their new organization. Another big one: they over-relied on the competencies that fueled their prior successes instead of mastering the skills they needed for their new one. 

At that point, coaching becomes emergency treatment instead of preventative care. Don’t get me wrong: as a coach and advisor, I like working with professionals at all stages, and sometimes the messier situations are more interesting and challenging engagements. But leaders themselves would much rather spend their time notching wins than recalibrating after a rough start.  

While not every early misstep is preventable, one thing makes early success more likely: treating onboarding as a project in itself. I was inspired to double down on this area of practice after seeing firsthand the impact of leaders who approach a new role with intention.

They don’t just show up on day one and wing it. They put in the time to strategize around managing up, understanding formal and informal power at their new workplace, communicating credibly, building key alliances that can help them succeed, securing early wins and identifying and sequencing priorities.

An added upside: having a plan eases the anxiety of starting a new role. So does having a thought partner on your side.

I’ve captured some of these key steps and a few more into a playbook and planning process I’m rolling out with clients in my individual practice. My hope: to help leaders understand that success in a new role isn’t just about doing great work (but yes, do great work) — it’s about developing a deep understanding of the dynamics you’re walking into and moving accordingly.

If you'd like to hear more about how I work with leaders in new roles, book a 30-minute intro call here.